Today we were back on the tour front, this time in an old American jeep exploring the back roads & nature of Ninh Binh.

We were introduced to our ride, by our driver an old Vietnamese guy sporting a green safari hat.

We felt like extras in the classic film ‘Good Morning Vietnam’!

We started our trip through Tam Coc, visiting Thai Vi temple. The temple belongs to Trang A Complex and is surrounded by a terrain of limestone mountains and swamps, alternately regarded as Ha Long Bay inland.

According to Feng Shui, the temple is set in a location benefitting from its surroundings, with majestic high mountains standing side by side and Ngo Dong River flowing in front of.

Accessing this area can only be achieved either by boat or by bike or if you’re really lucky a 4-wheeled drive jeep!

The area is truly stunning, with the river and paddy fields intertwined around the steep mountains formed as a result of a shifting in the tectonic plates many millions of years ago.

Our driver was very skilled and knowledgeable about the area and was soon taking us properly off road along routes that no other vehicle would be able to access.

Of the activities that we’ve done to date in Vietnam, this is up there as one of our favourites. Getting to see nature and the wildlife up close, with a gentle cooling breeze helping to offset the humidity that you otherwise can’t escape.

We made a few impromptu stops during the tour, with visits to Thung Nang and Den Voi.

Driving through Thung Nang you are total immersed in the beautiful natural scenery. The riversides are covered by grass and diverse fauna systems. Despite being a popular tourist destination, Thung Nang still retains the untouched natural beauty. 

It’s such a fantastic feeling driving to these unspoilt parts of the Vietnamese countryside, surrounded by green fields, enjoying the fresh air, all wrapped up in the poetic scenery.

We were surprised to see so many white ducks in the fields, however it was explained to us that they help to eradicate the unwanted snails that can eat the rice crops and in turn bbq duck is a delicacy in the region!

After witnessing the array of ducks, we then came across a herd of goats, happily grazing beside the road and totally unfazed by our incoming jeep at close quarters.

As we ebbed ever further away from Tam Coc, we felt like we were almost completely on our own, traversing routes that no other driver, brave or foolish, had taken for some time.

All the while, we had to keep pinching ourselves realising how fortunate we are to see such beautiful scenery.

We meandered through endless paddy fields and along narrow paved roads, sitting a matter of a few inches above the water table ‘floating’ our way through the valley.

After a hour or so, we arrived at Bich Dong Pagoda, which we originally visited by bike a few days back.

Today the lake was bathed in a carpet of greenery, complimenting the hills and mountains in the distance.

We were fortunate to have arrived at the pagoda just as one of the many coach trips was leaving and so briefly we had the opportunity to take photos of the entrance without being pressured to move on.

The area around the pagoda is so wonderful and made for those people that like a photo or three. We did our best to get in there quick, then move on to the next spot.

We had a wander around the pagoda and temples, but like the day previous the heat was starting to become stifling.

We decided to get back into the jeep and let the breeze from the drive help cool us down.

Our driver was keen to show was the jeep was capable of doing and a couple of times, he introduced some new gears that he manoeuvred and enabled us to navigate through muddy terrain.

The last hour of our trip, was a pleasant experience of going in and out of small villages where we got a brief glimpse of how the locals live, many of which are set up as Home-stays and have small pools and seating areas to entice people in.

Our jeep tour eventually came to an end mid-afternoon and goes down as one of the best experiences in Vietnam. Such a cool way to see this beautiful part of the country.

By this time we had worked up a bit of an appetite and went to a nearby bakery/cafe where we treated ourselves to coffee, cake and a fruit smoothie.

What was left of the rest of the day was spent chilling back at the hotel pool, where we caught up with a couple from South Africa who are travelling around Japan and SE Asia. Suyenne and Anthon were a great couple, very friendly and we hope to catch up with them again when we head to Hanoi in just under a weeks time.

Tomorrow we leave Ninh Binh and are travelling to the island of Cat Ba where we plan to spend 5 nights in Cat Hai, doing a day cruise and generally exploring this beautiful part of the coastline.